Privacy Policy | Armature Group

Armature Group, Inc.

The General Data Protection Regulation issued by the European Union (“GDPR”) and effective 25 May 2018, is a further step in the protection of Individual rights for the privacy of their personal Information. The GDPR increases the protections that have already been in effect for some time in the European Union and in many countries around the world.

The Armature Group Privacy Policy outlines the privacy practices that we implement for Personal Data. We take the protection of personal information very seriously. Armature Group is compliant with the guidance and requirements of the professional code of conduct applicable to all registered market research companies (ICC/ESOMAR International Code on Market, Opinion and Social Research and Data Analytics: https://esomar.org/code-and-guidelines/icc-esomar-code) and all current existing local regulations, especially with regard to respondent information, including GDPR.

This Policy describes the information we collect in the normal course of business and from whom. It describes how we use the information as well as how long we retain it. The collection of and processing of personal information of our respondents follows principles outlined in the GDPR as described in this policy.

Data Collection

Types of Data We Collect:

At Armature Group, we collect personal data in order to conduct Market Research on behalf of clients in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. We collect only the personal information required to perform the specific research tasks related to the study or studies that we are conducting.

Types of personal data that we may collect include:

Contact details (name, title, address, email)
Medical specialty
Telephone and/or fax numbers
Certain medical history data as needed

At times, special circumstances may require explicit and/or additional consent from our respondents. For example, we obtain explicit consent for video and audio recordings of interviews and focus groups. If adverse events are revealed during the course of data collection, additional consent is requested and
the relevant information sent to our client per its own standard protocols.

Respondents are advised at the time of their initial consent and again at the start of their interview sessions that others affiliated with the research may monitor or view recordings of the data collection process, but that Armature makes efforts to keep their responses anonymous and confidential.

Purpose of Collecting Personal Data:
Armature Group collects and processes personal information solely for the purposes of executing the primary market research studies it has been commissioned to complete. Our reports and presentations to clients feature aggregated and/or blinded results so that no individual respondent can be associated with his/her opinions. Armature excludes all personally identifiable information (PII) from items shared with its clients and, whenever possible, avoids collecting it altogether.

Retention of Information:
We retain personal information only for 90 days after conclusion of its associated study, at which point the information is removed from our systems. The lone exception to this policy is when adverse events are reported during the course of data collection. In this circumstance, we may retain the information for up to 10 years as required by binding agreements with the end client. If no concrete policy exists for retention of adverse event data, Armature will delete it along with any other PII accumulated over the course of the study.

Transfer of Data:
In the course of its usual and customary business, Armature Group will occasionally require transfer of data from the EEA, Switzerland, and/or UK. When doing so, it will observe the same degree or greater of protection with regard to personal information.

Company Contact:
Anyone concerned about Armature’s use of their personal Information may contact Armature Group via email at info@armaturegroup.net or by telephone at 1-484-413-2024 with any inquiries or complaints. Physical mail may be addressed to Dr. Sally M. Davis, President, Armature Group Inc, 308 East Lancaster
Avenue, Suite 215, Wynnewood, PA, 19096.

Additional GDPR Compliant Measures

Armature Group has implemented several additional security measures to comply with GDPR. These include:

Employee Training:
Armature Group implements annual employee training to ensure data protection awareness. Employees are informed of security threats and how they can be mitigated.

Data Encryption:
Armature Group has worked with our IT team to implement and maintains high-level encryption on all company computers and devices. Our software and databases are both encrypted and secured using two-factor authentication.

Third Party Service Providers/Suppliers:
The following tasks are routinely performed for Armature by a number of third party service providers:
Transcription, translation, and recruitment of market research participants, preparation of cross-tabs, and statistical analysis and support.

Our third party service providers are required to take appropriate security measures to protect personal data that are in line with our security policies.

We include standard contractual clauses in our contracts with third party service providers that outline agreed-upon confidentiality and security expectations.

Respondent Rights

All respondents to the studies that Armature conducts have the following rights with respect to their personal information:

The right to request access to their information. They are entitled to a copy of the personal information that we hold and to confirm that we are lawfully processing it.
The right to request a correction to the information that we hold. This allows them to correct any incomplete or incorrect information.
The right to request erasure of their personal information. They may ask to have it deleted or removed in the event that they no longer want their information processed for the study.
The right to refuse, restrict, or suspend the processing of their personal information.
The right to opt out of any recording or additional listeners during an interview.
The right to invoke binding arbitration under certain conditions.

To Process this Request:
There are no fees or other hidden costs for a respondent to request their personal information or to exercise their rights with respect to their information. Armature may request further specific information to help confirm the respondent’s identity to ensure their rights to the specified information in question. Respondents have the right to withdraw their previously provided consent for the specific processing purpose at any time.

Accountability and Dispute Resolution:
Armature Group, Inc. commits to resolve complaints about our collection or use of your personal information. EU individuals with inquiries or complaints regarding our Privacy policy should first contact Armature Group, Inc. at:

Sally Davis, President: 484-413-2022, info@armaturegroup.net

Judi Schettler, Operations Manager: 484-414-4028, info@armaturegroup.net

Changes to our Privacy Policy:
We monitor our privacy policy regularly and may update it at any time. You may access our privacy policy at www.armaturegroup.net/privacy-policy